Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is located at 36°58'19" North, 122°1'35" West (36.972050, -122.026252){{GR|1}}.

History

The area was first settled by Ohlone Indians, who were Native American hunter-gatherers. Santa Cruz was colonized in the mid-1700s by the Spanish, who established both a mission (Mission Santa Cruz) and a secular settlement named Branciforte. The town was named, as many of the early Spanish settlements were, for the Catholic feast day on which it was founded. The Ohlones were concentrated by the Spanish into the mission and suffered a rapid decline due to diseases and overwork.

Related Topics:
Ohlone Indians - Native American - Hunter-gatherer - 1700s - Spanish - Mission - Mission Santa Cruz - Branciforte - Catholic feast day

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Santa Cruz was settled by Americans in the 19th century. Immigrants from Scotland, Italy, China and Portugal also added distinctive contributions to the area's culture. In the 19th century forestry and commercial fishing were primary industries, as well as dairy farming and leather production.

Related Topics:
19th century - Immigrants - Scotland - Italy - China - Portugal - Forestry - Commercial fishing - Dairy farming - Leather

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In the early 1970s, Santa Cruz was referred to as "The Murder Capital of the World" because there were two active serial killers and one mass murderer in town. These were Ed Kemper, Herbert Mullin, and John Linley Frazier respectively. Although the Victorian Homes inner city area around the Louden Nelson Center has been gentrified, the Beach Flats area next to the boardwalk still has high crime rates.

Related Topics:
1970s - Serial killer - Ed Kemper - Herbert Mullin - John Linley Frazier

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Effects of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

Santa Cruz is also notable for the extensive damage it suffered during the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which leveled the mostly unreinforced-brick downtown, killing five people. The downtown area, the Pacific Garden Mall, has been rebuilt almost from scratch, although a few weed-covered vacant lots remain. This same area is also a gathering place for Santa Cruz's population of young street people, along with numerous street entertainers.

Related Topics:
October - 1989 - Loma Prieta earthquake - Brick - Pacific Garden Mall - Weed - Young street people

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Todays Housing

In recent years, because of its proximity to Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz has supported a large high-technology population, particularly in the Scotts Valley area. Many workers from Silicon Valley live in Santa Cruz and the surrounding towns. The influx of workers from Silicon Valley, in combination with growing enrollment at the university, has caused growing traffic problems and a high cost of housing; Santa Cruz is regularly listed among the five most expensive housing markets in the United States.

Related Topics:
Silicon Valley - Scotts Valley

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